Head guard for electric shaver



March 24,1959 R. L. SCHMOY'ER 2,378,563

' HEAD GUARD FOR ELECTRIC SHAVER Filed April 9, 195'? INVEN OR flea 4,40 A. K/rMdKf/F United htates HEAD GUARD FOR ELECTRIC SHAVER Application April 9, 1957, Serial No. 651,735

2 Claims. (Cl. 30-90) The top or skin-engaging portion of an electric shaver shearing head being very thin and liable to be damaged if abused, the common practice is to provide a removable guard to protect the head when the shaver is not in use. Such guards usually consist of a top wall and dependin side walls, forming a generally U-shaped cover adapted to enclose the vulnerable area of the head. They are ordinarily made of plastic and are adapted for snapengagement with the shaver head or the shaver case.

The present invention relates to a head guard of the above type but of an improved construction, the advantages of which will be readily understood from the following description of the accompanying drawings of the preferred form. In the drawings:

Fig. l is a partially sectioned side elevation of the improved guard;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view;

Fig. 3 is an end view;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a partially broken out side elevation of the upper part of an electric shaver having the guard applied to it; and

Fig. 6 is a transverse section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

In this preferred form the guard comprises a top wall 1 and depending side Walls 2 together forming what will be referred to as a generally U-shaped cover (actually an inverted U as shown in the drawings). The top wall, which is adapted to overlie the vulnerable area of the head, is thick so as to constitute it a rigid, head-protecting bar. The side walls, on the other hand, and especially the end portions of the side walls may be relatively thin.

These end portions of the side walls, designated 3, are separated from the adjacent top wall or bar by openended slits 4, thereby constituting each of them a freeended flap. Being made of the usual plastic or other suitable resilient material, and relatively thin, these flaps are flexible laterally; that is, substantially as if spring hinged for movement about an axis extending across approximately the inner end of each flap. And on the inner side of each of the flaps there is provided a lug element or locking projection 5. As will be understood, these elements are adapted for snap-engagement with the shaver and, in this preferred form, with the head itself, generally designated 6 in Figs. 5 and 6. The head there 2 shown for purposes of illustration is of the type having overhanging comb sections 7.

Also in this preferred form of guard, the thick top wall or bar includes extensions 8 which protrude beyond the ends of the side walls of the guard. These extensions may have thickened or turned down ends, as indicated at 9, to provide supports on which the guard may be sustained with the inner or under face of the top wall out of contact with the top of the shaver head.

In the shaver to which this preferred form of guard is shown applied in Figs. 5 and 6, the case or handle is designated 10. The head end of the shaver is encircled by a plastic unit 12 not necessary to be described here but which may incorporate pockets to receive the cut whiskers from the open ends of the head. At the ends of the head the unit 12 extends approximately to or slightly above the top surface of the head.

As shown in Fig. 3, the locking projections 5 have upwardly sloping lower surfaces 13 which merge into the rounded portions 14 and it will be apparent that, when the guard is placed over the head and pushed downwardly, the locking projections will engage the comb portions of the head and cam themselves laterally, as permitted by the flexibility of the end flaps of the side walls. In the final movement of the guard the resiliency of the flaps causes the projections to move back inwardly and, being then beneath the comb sections of the head, they serve to hold the guard in place (Fig. 6). It will also be seen that the guard comes to rest with the extended ends of its top wall overlying and seating on unit 12. The thick top wall of the guard is thus supported independently of and out of contact with the head, which latter is thus well protected against damage when the shaver is not in use. It will be obvious that when the shaver is to be used, the flexibility of the flaps permits the guard to be as readily detached from the head.

In the light of the foregoing exemplification of the features of this preferred form of the invention, the following is claimed:

1. A guard of the kind having a top Wall and depending side walls providing a generally U-shaped cover adapted to enclose the head of an electric shaver, in which the end portion of each side wall of the guard is separated by an open-ended slit from the adjacent top wall, thereby constituting each said side wall end portion a free-ended flap and in which each such flap is provided on its inner side with a locking projection.

2. A guard of the kind having a top wall and depending side walls providing a generally U-shaped cover adapted to enclose the head of an electric shaver, in which the end portion of each side wall of the guard is separated by an open-ended slit from the adjacent top wall, thereby constituting each said side wall end portion a free-ended flap.

Upham June 1, 1943 Jepson Sept. 2, 1952 

